Ghost's Fall
by yaoivampire
Summary: Full summary inside. Pompous pep! or DannyxVlad
1. Chapter 1

-1**Ghost's Fall**

Inspired by Broken Hug by Pedal. Please, PLEASE don't ask me how this picture inspired me for this crazed up fiction. Because seriously? I don't know. Deadpans Now, should I be working on my other fictions? Most likely. Will I work on my other fictions. HA! I probably won't finish this one either. Gets smacked by my muse, Charlie Fine, I'll finish them… later.

Summary: Slight AU, since it happened after Phantom Planet, but Vlad didn't run away to space and get hit by the disasteroid. Years of loneliness chipped away at Vlad's mind and one day he finally snapped. He killed the woman he once loved, (HA! Take that Nicole! P ) leaving Danny to be raised by his grieving father. After that, Vlad killed hundreds, leaving Amity Park in much the same state the unprotected world was in TUE. But Danny has some deep-seeded psychological problems himself and when it comes to Vlad, he's far from unforgiving. Yummy yummy, slashy slashy! D x V, or Pompous Pep, or whatever you want to call it. This is not fluff by any means. Nor is this even approaching a happy fiction. Why no fluff? Because I'm a sick, sick person. D Oh, and D x S. Yeah, I wrote some het. Everybody: gasp!

Nineteen year old Daniel Fenton sat on the edge of a cliff, letting the wind ruffle his raven hair. He wondered what it would be like to jump. Jump and not transform. Would it feel just like flying? Would it hurt when he finally hit? Danny stood up. He looked down at the ground below the cliff, which was a dizzying one hundred feet away. Taking a deep breath, he stepped off the cliff. It wasn't like flying. It was more like… like… tumbling. Yes, tumbling through the air. At twenty feet away from the impact, he transformed. He had lost the battle cry. The days of his childhood were over. Far over. He let himself fall another ten feet, before he pulled out. He flew up and shivered slightly from the increased cold air flow.

"You frightened me. I thought I was going to lose you." A cold voice said behind Danny. His head whipped around. Tucker. He was sitting in a tree next to Danny. "Why do you do things like that?" He snapped.

"Why do even care?" Danny retorted. "You haven't even bothered to speak to me in a year." Danny floated over to a branch next to Tucker and sat down on it.

"I tried to Danny! We all tried to. But you never listened. All you ever did was sulk. We all have tragedies in our-" Tucker was cut off by Danny making a gagging noise.

"Please. Don't you think I've heard it all before." He began to speak in a high, pompous voice, "Danny, why must you always act out?! Other kids have lost their mothers and they don't misbehave. Danny, I know you're hurting, but you really must stop sulking! Go out and play! Smile for once," Danny's voice began to grow angry, "Danny, I know that your mother was murdered by a ghost, but hey! Life goes on! Danny! Don't you know that we're trying the best we can to cheer you up? But your damned misery keeps getting in the fucking way! Danny! Danny! FUCKING DANNY!" He was yelling pointless words now, hands glowing with green energy. Tucker winced and shrank back slightly. He knew Danny was slightly off kilter.

"Danny, please. Calm down." Danny glared at Tucker and looked as if he was about to go off again, but he instead sat back down. They sat in silence, neither wanting to speak. "Danny?" Danny looked up in acknowledgment. "Sam misses you. You two never really broke up, you just… fell away."

"Tell her I'm sorry. Maybe, if she wants, I'll visit her." Danny answered, but his voice was far away. Tucker looked away, a bit disheartened.

"Do you… do you… still love her?" Tucker asked, tentative. Danny was silent for a long time.

"No." The answer was harsh, but it was the simple truth. A truth that everyone knew anyways. If Danny still loved Sam, he would be with her now. Not jumping off cliffs and yelling at his former best friend.

"Did you ever love her?"

"Yes, but that was a long time ago. Five years ago, I was whole. Danny as Sam knew him is dead. She doesn't love me either, she loves him." He decided that he probably wasn't going to visit Samantha, even she did ask after him. Tucker struggled for something else to say. He never meant to lose touch with Danny, even if he had changed.

"Is Vlad still… bothering you?" It was a stupid question. Of course Vlad was bothering Danny! Even if he never saw the older man, Vlad had killed his mother for Christ's sake. He was constantly on Danny's mind. Bothering him. But Danny knew Tucker was trying.

"Yes, almost everyday. He still wants me to join him." Tucker was surprised.

"After what he did? He expects you to join him? Damn, he really is a fruit loop." Tucker said and chuckled weakly at his equally weak joke. Much to Tucker's astonishment, Danny's laughter joined his own chuckling. Soon, they were both laughing full out. When they calmed, an awkwardness fell over them. Had it really been only a year since they had done this, because it felt like they had never even met. Like they were finding common ground for the first time in their life. "I have to go home." Tucker said, almost reluctant.

"Need a ride?" Danny asked, smiling slightly. Not the way he used to smile. Tucker noticed, but said nothing about it.

"Sure, I'd like that." Tucker said. Danny floated over and grabbed Tucker, to fly him to his house. For a moment, they were both fourteen again. Best friends. Tucker, however reluctantly, was forced to break this illusion when Danny made to turn down the usual street. "We don't live there, Danny. We… moved." The façade shattered. They were nineteen again. Strangers.

"Right." Danny grunted, "Where are you now?" Tucker winced at Danny's tone and pointed him in the right direction. Danny dropped Tucker off on his doorstep. "Well, see ya." Danny said and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Tucker called out, Danny turned around. "I'm… sorry. I never wanted to lose touch, I-" Danny cut Tucker off again, this time by holding up a hand.

"Tucker? Save it for when you mean it." And with that, Danny flew off. Tucker watched him leave, knowing Danny was right. He didn't mean it.

Danny sighed, not even flying helped his mood. He could go home, to his miserable father, to his miserable life. Danny began to head in that direction, but two strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and pulled him against something warm and solid. "Hello little badger." A velvet soft voice whispered, close to his ear. "Vlad." Danny spat. He could feel the older man's breath on his neck, but he wasn't disturbed. Vlad had turned almost sexual towards him in the past few years, and to be frank, he was used to it. He could almost see Vlad smirking at him, smug. He spoke.

"Why don't you fight ghosts anymore?"


	2. Chapter 2

-1Danny scowled at Vlad's question. His life was not Vlad's business. He struggled to get out of Vlad's embrace, but the other halfa's grip tightened. "Answer my question." Vlad urged Danny.

"Fuck you!" He snarled and jolted, ripping away from Vlad. He glared. It was true, Danny was no longer the town's pet hero. Danny decided on a whim to answer Vlad. "All I did was save their asses. All they did was break me down." He hissed. Vlad smiled.

"Then why don't you join me. I can give you-" Danny snapped and lunged at Vlad.

"You murdered my mother! You destroyed me!" He growled, as he and Vlad tussled in mid-air. Vlad grabbed Danny, pinning his arms to his sides.

"You destroyed yourself! But I can save you." Vlad was almost pleading. Danny struggled out of Vlad's grip again. He didn't feel like fighting, but it looked like he had no choice.

Danny dragged his feet home. He didn't even have enough energy to maintain his ghost form. He entered his house and slumped into an armchair, beaten, broken, and bloody. His father entered the room, a worried look on his face. "Was it… him?" Jack asked, nervous. Danny nodded weakly.

"… Well?" Jack pried. Danny sighed.

"Another stalemate." He grunted. Jack looked away, disappointed. It was times like these that Danny missed the bumbling, idiot of a father that no longer existed.

"Danny, I'm worried about you. I don't like seeing you beat up like this. I really wish you'd let me take care of Vlad." Danny sighed. How many times have they been over this? A hundred? But Danny tolerated it for his father's sake. It seemed Jack was the only person Danny cared for anymore. "Dad, what would I do if you were killed? I won't let that happen. I swear I'll be careful." Jack smiled, but it was fake. He started to leave the room, patting Danny's head as he left, "I can't lose you too." Jack said, mournful. When his father left, Danny fell into a restless sleep on the couch. He would dress his wounds later.

Danny woke up later, in his bed. His sleep had been riddled with nightmares. He sighed and sat up. Running his fingers through his messy hair, he got out of bed and went to his conjoined bathroom. He was covered in gashes and cuts, some of which were still weakly bleeding. Great, now he had to clean his sheets. He opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the gauze and disinfectant. He went to close the mirrored door, but hesitated. He scowled at himself for being such an idiot. Did he really expect that when he closed the door, Vlad would be reflected in the mirror, like in one of those bad horror movies? He slammed the door shut. Fucking Vlad was making him paranoid now. It was bad enough he was having hallucinations from all the stress. He felt like screaming. Screaming out all his frustrations until there was nothing left of them. He carefully took care of his wounds and walked back into his bedroom. To his surprise, his phone rang. He picked it up, "Hello?" Danny asked.

"Danny? Hi, it's Tucker. Look, I can't stand it anymore. This is purely selfishness. But I need to talk to you again. I feel bad for kind of ditching you over the past year."

"You're talking to me now." Danny said. He heard Tucker sigh.

"No. In person. Please. Can I come over?"

"…….. Sure." Danny blinked in surprise when he heard a click and a dial tone. Shrugging he put the phone back on it's charger. "Dad!" Danny called.

"What?!" Jack shouted back from his room.

"Tucker's coming over!" Danny jumped when Jack suddenly appeared in his doorway.

"Tucker?!" Jack said, eyes wide with surprise. Danny nodded. Jack beamed. "That's great! I hope you guys can be friends again." Danny smiled weakly. Since when had hope ever helped anyone?

Danny pulled open the door, "Hey Tuck." He said dully.

"Hi Danny." Danny led Tucker up to his room. It was a gawky occasion. They merely stared at each other. Then Tucker noticed Danny's bandaged state, "What happened?!" Danny was confused at first, but soon realized what he was talking about.

"Vlad." He said blandly. Tucker squinted at something on his neck. "Is that a bite mark? Why did Vlad bite you?" Danny blushed subtly.

"Um, Vlad didn't. A… girl did." He explained. Tucker was surprised.

"You have a girlfriend?"

"No." Tucker raised an eyebrow.

"Then what…? Oh, a one night stand thing?" Danny nodded. Why of all things was _this _their first topic of conversation. "You never used to do that kind of thing." Tucker said softly. Danny looked away.

"Sex is a distraction. Can we talk about something else?"

"Right sorry. So is Vlad the only ghost you fight now?"

"Yes. I'm sick of playing hero." Danny said, causing Tucker to avert his eyes.

"Oh."

"Yep, this is working out dandy." Danny said, sarcastic.

"We just have to catch up. Give this a chance. Come on! What did we used to do together?" Danny shrugged.

"Pizza. Arcade. Loud music. Listen Tuck, we're not teenagers anymore. I'm nineteen. You're going to be turning twenty real soon. We lost touch. It happens." Tucker looked at Danny, desperate.

"It doesn't happen to people who've known each other since they were both two years old! We can't fall apart. We just can't." Danny sighed.

"What do you expect me to do? Order pizza, dig out my old CDs, and take you to the arcade?" Danny asked. Tucker grinned.

"You could order pizza. I'll even pay for it!" He said. Danny shook his head, a small smile forming on his lips. That's Tucker for you, always thinking of his stomach. Danny got up and picked up the phone. Tucker cheered, causing Danny to smile fully.

"That's Danny I know." Tucker said. Danny ordered a large pepperoni pizza and hung up the phone. He settled on his bed, "So, what have you been up to Tucker?" Danny asked.

"Oh, this and that. Thinking about moving out of my old man's place. I've got a job in computer security. You know, creating fool-proof firewalls, codes and stuff like that." Danny nodded.

"That's cool. I'm glad for you." His voice was distant. "I kind of miss Valerie. I was pretty shocked when she ran off after she found out who I was. I mean, I saved the entire planet and she still holds a grudge against me. Anyways, do you know where she went?" Danny said, only half aware he was rambling. Tucker shrugged his shoulders.

"The last I heard, she was in England, studying abroad."

"Good for her." Danny said, glad she finally found something other than ghost hunting. "Listen, Tuck. What's Sam got going on?"

"Sam? She kind of hangs around. She wants to be an environmentalist, or some sort of activist. You don't make any money doing that, but you know she has enough money to fall back on." Tucker said, "You know, she asked after you. She wants to take you up on that visit you offered her." Danny grinned, but inside he was frowning. He knew Sam would be disappointed with who he had become. There was a knock on the door. Danny went to stand up, but Tucker stopped him, "I said I'd pay for it." Tucker went downstairs and answered the door. Danny picked up a hackey-sack, tossed it up and caught it several times. A few minutes later, Tucker returned with the pizza. He set it on Danny's bedside table. He tried to grab a piece, but Danny snatched away the box before he could. "Hey! What gives?!" He exclaimed. Danny didn't answer. He was busy inspecting the pizza as if it was a bomb, and he was trying to figure out how to diffuse it. "Danny, _what _are you doing?" Tucker asked.

"Vlad could have interceded the pizza boy and poisoned this." Danny explained. Tucker shot him what could have been a pitying look, but it was quickly covered up.

"You live in constant fear of him, don't you?" Danny looked up at his former best friend.

"You would too." Was all he said. "Pizza looks fine," He took a slice and pushed the box towards Tucker.

"Yum! Pizza's good." He said after taking a bite. Danny picked up the hackey-sack again, and rolled it around on the floor as he ate.

The pizza seemed to be the icebreaker. Danny and Tucker were soon talking animatedly. The clock struck midnight and Tucker's cellphone rang. "Hey Dad." He answered. There was a pause as Tucker's father spoke. "Yeah, sorry Dad. I lost track of time." Tucker frowned at his dad's next words, "No, I can't. Sam's parents are asleep." This time, it was Danny who frowned. "No, it's okay Dad. I'll head home now. I don't need a ride." Tucker hung up and looked at Danny, uncomfortable.

"Tucker?"

"Yeah Danny?"

"Your Dad doesn't know you're here, does he?"

"No Danny." Tucker sighed, "My father thinks… he's afraid that… well, that… you're…"

"Insane?" Danny guessed. Tucker nodded. "That's alright, I'm used to it. I don't blame you. I guess I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I'll see you around." Tucker left the room. Danny waited until he heard the front door shut to throw the ecto-energy enforced hackey-sack at the wall and let out a string of obscenities.


	3. Chapter 3

-1Look! It's Ghost's Fall Danny: http://jackiespicer15. went to the kitchen to put away the leftover pizza. His dad came down with a hopeful look in his eyes. "How did it go?" Jack asked.

"Fine." Danny said, "We might hang out again." Jack beamed and clasped a heavy hand on his son's back.

"That's great!" He exclaimed. He opened the fridge, "Ooo! Pizza!" He said, grabbing some and munching on it happily.

"Hey Dad? I'm going out?"

"This late?" Jack said, frowning slightly. Danny laughed.

"Come on Dad. I have worse things to worry about than missing curfew."

"Well alright. Don't stay out too long." Jack said. Danny grinned and hugged his dad.

"I won't." He said. He grabbed his coat as he jogged out the door. Chuckling, Jack went back up to his room, pizza in hand.

As soon as Danny was out the door, he transformed and slipped on his coat. He flew up into the sky. Flying had always helped his stress. Plus, it was much more healthy than having a lot of sex. Which admittedly he did, but flying help cut down on the amount. It started to rain but Danny didn't care. He grinned, laughing as he made loops in the air and flew upside down. He only laughed when he was alone. He blasted ecto-energy at trees and mailboxes, not caring if he woke people up, or blew up their belongings. He was having so much fun, he didn't even notice the figure floating in his path way until he ran into it. "Oomph!" He grunted as he slammed full force into the figure. "Hello Daniel." A velvet voice purred.

"Vlad." Danny growled. Vlad clasped his arms around Danny.

"Why do you keep doing that?!" Danny said. Vlad laughed. His laugh was deep and low in his throat, like a growl.

"So you don't struggle." Vlad said, "And so I can do this." He ran his hand down Danny's chest and stopped just above his lower stomach. Danny shuddered.

"Don't do that!" He shouted.

"Why not Daniel? You obviously enjoy it." Vlad said.

"Fuck off. Fuck off. Fuck off!" Danny said, trying to struggle out of Vlad's grip. He was getting sick and tired of the older man and his strange obsession with him.

"Such language Little Badger. You should really watch your mouth." Vlad said, digging his sharp claw-like fingernails into Danny's sides. Danny winced. "You're going to get a cold out here in the rain." He said. "Why don't come home with me?" Vlad asked.

"Hm, don't think so." Danny said, Vlad smirked.

"You don't have a choice." He said. _Fuck,_ Danny thought, _I'm being kidnapped and taken all the way in Wisconsin? Dad is going to go out of his mind!_

"No, Vlad! Wait!" He tried to go intangible, but Vlad short-circuited his powers with that infernal contraption of his and teleported them to his Wisconsin property. It was deep in snow and still snowing. "Damn! It's cold." He said, shivering. He should of known better to try and phase through Vlad's hold. Every time he tried that trick in the past, Vlad zapped him with the invention that he had first used on the ghost boy in the woods five years ago. "Let me go!" Danny said, wriggling out of Vlad's arms. The action caused him to fall backwards into three feet of snow. "God damn it!" Danny yelled. He tried to get up, but it was difficult. He was finally able to stand up, however unsteadily. Vlad smiled and pushed him back down. "Fuck!" Danny shouted. Vlad dropped to his hands and knees and crawled over to Danny.

"You use that curse word often. One may think it's an offer." Vlad said. Danny growled at him and tried to get into a standing position again. Vlad put a hand on Danny's chest and pushed him down.

"Don't touch me!" Danny snapped. He was getting sick and tired of being in the cold and wet, but he knew he wasn't going to get out of it until Vlad was good and ready to let him out.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please with you." Vlad said. Danny groaned and closed his eyes in frustration. He let his head fall back in the snow. God, how he wished he would die right now. Here, in the freezing cold. He felt arms wrap around him and the feeling of being lifted. His snapped open. Vlad was carrying him to his mansion. He didn't bother struggling; he knew it was futile. Vlad reached his door and opened it, stepping inside. A wall of warmth hit Danny. Vlad put the boy on the couch. Danny shot up and bolted for the door, but Vlad appeared in front of Danny. He locked the door and de-transformed. Vlad put his hands on Danny's shoulders and led him back to the couch. "Please, accept my hospitality." Vlad said. It was more of a forceful demand than a request. Danny reluctantly sat down. He didn't want to be here, but his powers were down for a few more hours. He wasn't sure he'd survive a fight against Vlad. The other halfa sat down next to him, "I can't tell you how happy I am to have you in my home again." Vlad said sincerely. Danny leaned his head on his hand, elbow resting on the arm of the couch. "I don't know why you won't join me. I could be a much better father than that buffoon, Jack." He said. Danny gritted his teeth, refusing to answer. Vlad reached over and played with Danny's ponytail. He flinched, but still did not respond. "Your hair is so long now." Vlad said fondly. "Daniel?" Vlad asked. Danny grunted. "I love you." Danny couldn't help it, the words just slipped out.

"Yeah? Well, I hate you." The hand that was stroking Danny's hair froze. _Shit, I'm fucked now, _Danny thought. Vlad stood up, thunder in his eyes.

"I'll be right back." He said through clenched teeth. Danny sighed. Vlad left the room. He came back a half an hour later, holding a mug of cocoa. He gave it to Danny. "Drink." He said. Danny had no idea why, but he was compelled to listen. Almost as soon as he sipped the liquid, all his muscles tensed up. "F-fuck." He said. His muscles relaxed, but too much. He lost all feeling. "Wh-wha?" Danny said. He felt dizzy and he couldn't move. Vlad pet Danny's cheek.

"I drugged you, if it wasn't obvious."

"Oh." Danny's brain was a bit fuzzy. Vlad approached Danny and kissed him. Danny groaned, "D-don't." Vlad just grinned.

AUTHOR'S COMMENTARY

That's right. Vlad just date-raped Danny. And yes, Danny was stupid enough to let it happen. Well, I know this is a story I'm never showing to my parents.


	4. Chapter 4

-1

AUTHOR'S COMMENTARY: Yeah. You know, the song _Take Your Pleasure _by Melaine really reminds me of the relationship between Vlad and Danny in this story. Oh, and I like this chapter, despite the shortness. Sorry about the shortness, by the way. In case you haven't noticed yet, this chapter, without a doubt, will make you truly realize that I am fucked up.

Danny watched as Vlad left the room. His muscles finally returned to life. Slowly, he sat up. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and began to get dressed. Curse words repeated in his head like a mantra. Except for one. He avoided _that _word. His ability to transform still escaped him. Eyes darted around the room wildly, before landing on a window within his reach. He went over to it and jumped up, grasping for the windowsill, but missed. His muscles were still suffering from the drug Vlad had slipped him. He tried again and was successful. He hauled himself up and pushed open the window. The ground was a little far away, but the snow would break his fall. He slipped out, shivering in the cold.

An hour away from Vlad's property, Danny was able to transform. Flight brought him little joy. He merely concentrated on getting home.

He got just about halfway over his state and was approaching Amity Park when his powers cut out. Luckily, he caught a branch, breaking his fall. He carefully climbed down the tree and leaned on the trunk. Damn, he was tired. Not to mention freezing cold and soaking wet. It was still raining here. Sighing, he pushed off the wet wood. He looked around and realized he didn't know where he was. He couldn't be too far from his house. After walking for awhile, he found himself standing in front of Sam's house. He wasn't sure how he got there, but he was glad because he knew how to get back to his house from here. He went to leave, but stopped. He turned back towards Samantha's house.

He wondered if he should visit, like he promised. A gust of wind hit him and his hair blew about his face. He realized he must have left his hair tie at Vlad's mansion. He shuddered at the memories that implied. He turned away from Sam's home. They no longer knew each other. They had no reason to see each other again.

Danny gasped as his father attempted to squeeze the life out of him. "D-Dad! Please!" Danny said breathlessly. Jack dropped his arms, letting Danny from his death-hug.

"I was so worried! You look awful! What happened?" Jack asked.

"I had a little run-in with a ghost." Danny said. Jack's eyes narrowed.

"Connection to Vlad?" Danny shook his head.

"No, just a ghost. I'm going to go to bed." Jack gave him a suspicious look, but it softened when Danny yawned.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning." Jack said. Danny felt bad for lying to his father, but he couldn't deal with his dad's reaction to the truth right now. He went upstairs and entered the bathroom. He felt sick. He guessed the drug didn't agree with his stomach. He broke out in cold sweat and gripped the toilet seat. After he rid his stomach of it's poisons, he stood up and stumbled into the bath. He drew up his knees, chest heaving. Not bothering to strip or even stand up, he turned on the shower. He leaned his head back and let the warm water cascade down on him. He had a hard time feeling like he was really clean. After his shower, he dressed in dry clothes, simply letting his wet garments lay on the floor. He'd deal with the mess tomorrow. He clambered into bed and dragged the covers over himself.

He didn't wake up until late afternoon. He got up, bypassed his dirty clothing, and went to the kitchen for something to eat. There was a note attached to the fridge. His father was out, he'd be back later, and there was breakfast in the refrigerator. He looked in the fridge and smiled. For breakfast there was massacred eggs, undercooked potatoes, and burnt toast. His dad never did get a hang of cooking. He'd have to use a knife to cut those eggs. As Danny ate the edible bits of his meal, his mind wandered back to the night with Vlad. He never knew Vlad was so serious about those sexual advances during the previous fights they had. He almost choked on his food when he suddenly remembered that Vlad had said he loved him. Did the older man really love Danny? Then he remembered the anger in his eyes when Danny responded with hate. Yes, Vlad most definitely loved Danny. "SHIT!" He yelled out loud. The other distressing subject at hand was that… that Danny didn't seem all that disturbed by the fact he had been raped by Vlad. "I mean, it wasn't all that bad." Danny blinked, surprised at what he had just said. He didn't go into panic mode denial, though. That just wasn't his personality. Still, the thought made him slightly sick to his stomach. "But hey, I won't have to pay for sex anymore. I'll just swing by Vlad's." He said and laughed. He picked up his knife and, still laughing, stabbed it through his hand. And laughing yet still, he cried.


	5. Chapter 5

-1Yeah, so I didn't feel like writing yet another chapter. So, instead here's the chapter that covers what happened between Vlad and Danny when Danny was drugged. http://yaoi . y-gallery . net/view/382087/ Don't forget to eliminate the spaces between the words and the dots. New chapter later!


	6. Chapter 6

-1Sorry for making you wait so long! I've been having a bit of a hard time. I stole Dr. Gillard's character from an RPG I'm doing.

Jack was whistling when he opened his front door. He had a good day at his job and had caught a few ghosts. "Hey Danny! I'm home! …Danny?" Jack called, confused when he received no answer in return. "Danny?" He entered the kitchen to find his son bleeding on the floor, "Danny!" Jack exclaimed, running to Danny's side, "Danny? Are you conscious?"

"Bar… barely." Danny said. Jack stood up.

"I'm calling an ambulance."

"Fuck… no hospitals." Danny ground out. Jack ignored his son's request and called 911. After he was through telling them the situation, he returned to Danny's side.

The good thing about Amity Park is that it is a smaller city. So, the ambulance had less emergencies to tend to before it reached the Fenton household. It arrived within fifteen minutes. The paramedics loaded Danny onto the stretcher and into the ambulance. Jack tried to get into the back with Danny, but a paramedic stopped him. "Sorry. Safety regulations. You'll have to follow with your own car." He said. Jack scowled at the news, but he didn't want to disobey the man and end up killing his son. He followed the ambulance and shot laser eyes at the red light that held him up. He arrived at the hospital approximately ten minutes after the ambulance. He rushed into the E.R. and tried to find Danny's room. However, a nurse stopped him. "I know, I know. Safety regulations." He said. He was told to check in with the secretary.

Jack sat nervously in the waiting room, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair. An elderly woman leaned towards Jack, "Could you be quiet please? The noise is putting me on edge." She said, kindly enough. Jack glared at her.

"Shut up, ya old hag!" He snapped. Obviously, such behavior was not typical of Jack, but the stress was too much for him.

"Well there is no need to be rude!" She said disdainfully. Jack stood up,

"Leave me alone!" He said. The woman shrunk back fearfully. The secretary looked up sternly.

"Mr. Fenton. I will have to call security on you if you don't settle down. Then you won't be able to see your son." Jack sat down like a scolded child. Jack rocked back and forth stressed, causing the woman next to him to huff with annoyance. A nurse came into the waiting room.

"Jack Fenton?" She called. Jack shot up.

"That's me." He said and she nodded. Jack followed her to Danny's room. Danny's hand was bandaged and he was hooked on to an IV that was feeding him blood. He was a bit pale, but other than that, he looked fine. Jack had seen worse before. However, those other times had not involved his son. Without sparing a glance at the doctor in the room, Jack went straight to his son, "Danny?" He asked tentatively.

"I'm fine, Dad." Danny said. The doctor approached Jack.

"Yes, he'll be alright. It was a simple wound to fix up. We just want to keep an eye on him overnight and we'll release after he had something to eat and a few simple tests tomorrow." The doctor said, "My name is Doctor Gillard." He added as an afterthought. "I leave you two alone, but visiting hours closes soon." Dr. Gillard said and left. Jack turned back to Danny.

"What happened?" He asked and Danny sighed.

"I stabbed myself." He said. Jack exploded.

"WHAT?! WHAT FOR?!" He yelled. Danny winced.

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking. I… I just let my emotions get the better of me." Danny said. Jack sighed and slumped down against a wall. "…It wasn't another suicide attempt." Danny said, "I'm past that, remember?"

"Are you… telling the truth?" Jack asked and Danny nodded. "What caused you to become so overwhelmed?" Jack asked.

"The usual. Vlad, friends, and Mom." Danny answered. Jack looked a little suspicious, but he didn't question Danny further. Jack and Danny sat in silence until a nurse informed them that visiting hours were over. Jack got up, kissed Danny on the forehead, causing Danny to scrunch up his nose. He smiled at his dad as he left.

Danny awoke suddenly when he felt a cool breeze on his face. "Ugh. Who left the window open?" He asked groggily.

"My bad, love." Danny heard next to his ear. Danny sat up suddenly, causing the IV to rip out.

"AHHG!" He yelled, clapping his hand over his newest wound. Danny heard chuckling and he knew who was hidden in the shadows. Vlad revealed himself. He pried Danny's hand from his needle wound. "What are you doing?" Danny asked. Vlad swiped up the blood with two fingers, causing Danny to cringe in pain. Vlad put the fingers into his mouth, sucking Danny's blood off them. Vlad licked his lips.

"Mm, you taste good." Vlad purred. Danny shuddered and Vlad leaned down towards him. "I was devastated when I returned to an empty bed." He said, sincere. Danny looked at the older man and, never one to go into denial, crushed his lips to Vlad's.


	7. Chapter 7

Vlad jerked back in shock. Slowly, his face broke out in a smile, "Well, well, well. It's about time you came around." Danny smirked,

"Are you gonna sit around and chitchat," Danny removed his shirt, "or are you going to fuck me?" Vlad looked like he just won the lottery on Christmas. He eagerly climbed up on top of Danny.

"I'm going to fuck you."

Danny groaned as Vlad half climbed, half fell off of him. He felt like crap and he guessed that he had needed whatever was in the I.V. He looked around for the needle before his eyes landed on Vlad, who was still standing in the room, staring at him. "You need to leave. Otherwise my father is going to catch you."

"I'll see you again." Vlad said, before turning into his ghost form and phasing out the wall. Danny snorted,

"Like you'll ever leave me alone." He continued his search and spied the needle slightly beneath the bed. He bent over the side of the bed and grasped his prize. Wincing, Danny shoved the needle back into his arm. Sighing, Danny settled back down and opted to go back to sleep rather than reflect on what he had just done with Vlad.

"Danny, wake up." Danny grunted and cracked open an eyelid. Jack was standing over him, "The hospital said you can go home now."

"Great." Danny said and sat up. He noticed that sometime during the night, someone had removed the I.V. Danny swung his legs over the bed and Jack helped him stand, "Dad, it's okay. It's not like I was fatally injured." Jack hesitantly let Danny's arm go.

Jack checked Danny out of the hospital and led him to the car. The ride home was silent. Danny didn't feel like being around his father right now. He felt a little guilty for what he had done and he knew Jack would hate him if he ever found out. As soon as they got home, Danny made a beeline for his room. It was a school day, and if he hurried, Danny could still make it to school in time to make his second college class. He got ready, left a note telling his father where he was, and changed into his ghost form, flying out the window.

The teachers were a little surprised to see Danny. Jack had called in saying that he wouldn't be in school today. However, they didn't question Danny. Actually, they were rather afraid of him. After all, he was a slightly unbalanced ghost boy with powers that could likely kill them. Danny didn't really pay attention to class. His mind was much too busy.

After class, he decided to go find Tucker. He wanted to try and continue patching up their relationship. Maybe if they became friends again, he wouldn't have to seek comfort from Vlad. He found Tucker talking to Kwan. That was another thing that had changed since their high school days. Kwan had become a lot friendlier. He still wasn't much more intelligent (he got into college through a football scholarship), but without Dash (who did _not_ make it to college) dictating his every move, his true, fun-loving nature showed through. Danny waited until Kwan walked away too approach Tucker,

"Hey," he greeted. Tucker looked at him in surprise,

"Hey." Danny didn't really want to talk about himself, so he tried to steer the conversation towards Tucker,

"I was wondering, if you have a job, why do you still go to college?"

"Huh? Oh. My dad thinks it would good for me to broaden my horizons." Danny nodded,

"Oh."

"What happened to your hand?" Danny cursed in his mind,

"It was… Vlad's fault." Well, technically, it was.

"Ouch. Did you at least give him a good pounding?" Danny winced at Tucker's unintentional double entendre,

"No. He kind of pounded me."

"Ooo, sorry. Better luck next time, huh?" Danny sighed,

"Yeah. Next time."

"Listen. I don't have any more classes today. You want to hang out?" Danny shrugged,

"Sure."

Tucker led Danny to the Nasty Burger. They ordered their food and sat down at a booth. Danny looked around, a sudden wave of nostalgia hitting him,

"I haven't been here in awhile."

"Yeah? Neither have I. I was having Nasty Sauce related phobia for awhile, there." Danny snorted, amused,

"I can't believe the FDA not only allows something so dangerous to be freely distributed but also taken care of by a couple kids who never finished high school."

"Tell me about it. You think the community would be in an uproar."

Their food arrived and Danny and Tucker continued their conversation about sauce that doubled as a bomb while they ate their burgers. "This is nice." Tucker suddenly said, "I missed you." Danny swallowed the food he had in his mouth,

"Yeah, I missed you, too. Listen, I'm sorry I've been acting like a stuck-up jerk. It's just been hard, you know? With my dad moping around, and my mother's killer popping up to say all the time. It kind of makes it hard to forget."

"It's okay, dude. I understand. We should have been more supportive; especially after all you've done for us. All you've done for the world."

"Do you think we can fix this relationship?" Tucker nodded,

"I think so." Danny smiled,

"Good."


	8. Chapter 8

When Danny returned to his room, he was in a much better mood. He flopped on his bed unceremoniously. He fished around the floor on the side of the bed for his hackie-sack. He felt the small bag just underneath his bed. He closed his hand around his prize and grinned. Tucker had agreed to meet him again tomorrow. Danny began to toss the toy up and down. Maybe his life could finally return to normal. Toss. Catch. Maybe if he started to live his life the way he used to, his father would cheer up and follow Danny's example. Toss. Catch. Maybe Danny could even patch things up with Sam. Toss. Catch. Maybe he wouldn't need Vlad after all. Toss. Danny blinked in confusion when the hackie-sack failed to come back down. He looked up to see a black-clad fist gripping the aforementioned toy.

"Vlad!" Danny exclaimed and scrambled off his bed, standing before the other, "What are you doing here?" Vlad chuckled,

"What's the matter? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"If my father sees you, he'll kill you!" Vlad snorted, amused,

"Jack? That bumbling idiot? What could he possibly do?"

"Dad's changed. Ever since you killed Mom, he's been honing skills and making new and better weapons. All with the sole purpose of taking you down. So, if you don't want that to happen, I suggest you get out of here." Vlad bit his lip, the comments making him think. There was silence for a few minutes.

"Fine," Vlad finally said, "But why don't you come with me?" Danny sighed. Here they go again,

"Vlad, I can't." How could he explain this, "I'm just now getting my life back together. I can't just join you now. I have to think about my dad. My future." Vlad looked hurt,

"But I thought… that we… that you had forgiven me. That you liked me." Danny sighed again. Oh boy. He had forgotten just how unbalanced Vlad had become. Danny was afraid that he wouldn't be able to reason with him.

"Vlad, I don't think I could ever forgive you for what you've done. I don't know if I could even ever _like_ you. It just that… when we have sex, it feels like an escape and a punishment all at once. An escape from my current situation and my responsibilities. My responsibility to hate you. A punishment that I need for acting like such an asshole to everyone and not killing you when I had the chance, as ironic as that is." Vlad looked like he had just been slapped,

"So, its just sex?" Danny sighed. When did this become a cliché soap opera?

"Yeah, I guess," Danny mumbled. Vlad huffed,

"Fine," he said and floated out the window. Danny wondered briefly if he wasn't going to see Vlad again.

"Probably not. He isn't deterred that easily," he said to the empty room. His previously high spirits now lowered, Danny searched for his hackie-sack before realizing that Vlad must have taken it with him. "Well, damn."


	9. Chapter 9

The next day, Danny headed towards the Nasty Burger, hoping that reconciling with his friend would help make him feel better. His hopes were dashed, however, when he entered the restaurant and saw Sam sitting next Tucker. "Shit," Danny cursed under his breath. Not only was he not ready for this conversation, but also he was really not in the mood for this conversation. Reluctantly, Danny trudged up to the booth that Tucker and Sam were sitting at, "Um, hi," he said, feeling rather awkward.

"Hi Danny. Long time no see, huh?" Sam said with a small smile. Danny sat down across from them,

"Yeah. I guess so."

"Tucker tells me you've stopped fighting ghosts." Danny nodded,

"Yeah."

"How come?" Danny grimaced inwardly. He really didn't want to start off on the wrong foot,

"Oh, my dad wanted me to stop. He said it was too dangerous. He didn't want to lose me too," Danny lied. Sam nodded,

"Oh. Where's Jazz?"

"College. She got into Ivy League. Of course, it's no surprise."

"Good for her." There was an awkward silence in which Tucker excused himself to go to the bathroom.

"So… what have you been up to?" Danny asked. Sam shrugged,

"Oh, this and that. Mostly volunteer work. I'm thinking about being a marine biologist or something."

"Cool." Sam suddenly looked down at her hands,

"So, uh, do have a girlfriend?" Danny blushed for so many reasons. He briefly thought about telling her that he was dating Vlad, but of course he would never tell her that. Besides, it wasn't even true. In any case, he probably wasn't even going to fuck him anymore, if Vlad's reaction in his bedroom last night told him anything.

"Not really. I've just kind of been messing around," he said and immediately regretted it. Sam gave him a reproachful look,

"You've been sleeping around?" Danny wrung his hands together,

"Sort of. Just to take my mind off things."

"You shouldn't do that! You could get some sort of disease." Danny shrugged,

"So? If I die, then I'd just be a ghost. That wouldn't be so bad." Sam shook her head in disbelief,

"I can't believe that, after all this time, you still haven't learned to be any less reckless."

"Well, I'm sorry!" Danny snapped, "It's just that, you tend not to think so clearly after your mother gets murdered by a crazy-ass ghost!" Sam rolled her eyes,

"There you go again, using your mother's death as an excuse. You have to learn how to get over it, Danny."

"That's what I've been trying to do," Danny growled, "but it doesn't happen over night!" Sam glared,

"Then maybe we shouldn't talk until it does happen." She got up,

"Fine."

"Fine." She stormed off just as Tucker was coming out of the bathroom,

"What happened?" Tucker asked,

"I don't we're going to make up, Tucker." Tucker looked disappointed,

"Oh. I guess it was worth a try, though, right?" Danny shrugged,

"I guess. Tucker, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm gonna head home. I'm just not feeling sociable right now."

"Oh, okay." Danny could hear the misery in Tucker's voice, but he just wanted to be alone. He hoped Tucker would understand.


End file.
